Psyche
by stress
Summary: AU. Being beautiful can be a burden. Just ask Higurashi Kagome. Her own appearance caused her to be caught up with a jealous spirit, an obsessed demon, a cursed well and a bitter hanyou. And that’s only the beginning…
1. I Tragedy strikes and the tale begins

Author's Note: _September 19, 2006; Well, I have decided to go back and (try to) revive this story. I corrected minor errors that bothered me but, apart from that, the story is the same as it has been. I might re-write some of it at a later point but, for now, it'll stay the way it is. _

_This story is, as noted, an AU – alternate universe. It is my intent to intertwine the stories of Inuyasha & co. and the Roman myth of Psyche & Cupid, while taking extreme creative license. As long as one person finds enjoyment in this tale, my job(?) is fulfilled. All in all, I hope you enjoy. And review. Reviewing is good…_

Disclaimer: _I own neither the characters of Inuyasha (© Rumiko Takahashi, 1996-present), nor the Roman myth of Psyche & Cupid. If you can see the parallels between the two stories, I applaud you. If not, please enjoy my interpretations presented here within as cheap entertainment._

--

PSYCHE

_Being beautiiful can be a burden. Just ask Higurashi Kagome.  
Her own appearance caused her to be caught up with a jealous spirit, an obsessed demon, a cursed well and a bitter hanyou.  
And that's only the beginning…_

--

**I. Tragedy strikes and the tale comes to life**

**--**

_While alive, the high priestess Kikyou was the most powerful miko in all the lands. She alone knew what it was to let loose a sacred arrow that never failed to strike its target and her presence was so great that the strongest of demons quaked at her approach. It was her destiny to walk the lands and attend to her fellow mortals, for it was she only that was blessed with such spiritual powers._

_But it was not just power that the gods bestowed upon the young maiden. As she was favored by the deities they, in turn, bless her with an ethereal beauty unrivalled by any other mortal, past or present. And it was this beauty that proved to be the cause of her demise._

Out of nowhere, cutting through the quiet of the woods, came a noise. Not one to garner the attention of a mere human, but Kikyou was much more than a mere human. She paused, but refused to turn around.

"I know you are over there, Inuyasha," she said, her voice as still as the summer air which enveloped her. "You have been watching me for quite some time." Kikyou bowed down and continued to pick flowers to weave into her raven tresses, purposely keeping her back to the great tree; she had nothing to fear from such a half-demon, and this was not the first time she had caught him staring.

There was a faint "feh" that came from up in the limbs of the tree, and a repeat of the previous noise as he left his perch in the tree, before Kikyou knew she was alone once more. However, she had barely a few moments peace in which to draw on the quiet before she heard footsteps approaching.

"Lady Kikyou." His voice seemed to echo on the wind, drawing out her name, wrapping her in his melody.

Kikyou knew the voice and, inwardly, cringed as her name resounded in her head. Her face, though, showed no emotion as she stood up straight. "Onigumo," she responded, drawing her bow close to her chest.

The man, nearly her equal in beauty, though she knew it to be nothing more than a twisted illusion, approached her and bent down on one knee. "My dearest, Kikyou. I would prefer it if you called me by my chosen name, Naraku. I think it suits me so much more, don't you?"

Kikyou smiled, and the sight of her was enough to cause several birds nearby to break into song. But the smile was not one of kindness of adoration, but one of hatred; the power of the emotion behind the gesture was so strong that it made her beauty radiate even more so. "You were introduced to me as Onigumo, and Onigumo I shall call you."

"Yes, my Kikyou. If it pleases you," the man replied, still positioned on the ground. But Kikyou knew that his words were empty and meaningless. As he spoke, he tested her powers again, sending out his own demonic aura in waves. As usual, though, the aura was purified the instant it made contact with Kikyou's own barrier. His laugh echoed throughout the clearing when he felt his own strength dissolve against Kikyou's.

She looked down on the man and placed her bow at his feet. Curious, Naraku's laughter stopped as he looked down at the bow and, assuming it to be a gift from Kikyou, reached for it. Once his palm made contact with the bow, he jerked his hand back as if he had been burned. Then, getting to his feet, he stepped back from Kikyou and looked at his hand and the raw patch of skin that was now there. "That wasn't very nice, Kikyou," he said, his voice as cold as her own.

"It wasn't very nice of you to seek me out in the forest, Onigumo," she replied, bending down to retrieve her bow. "This is the only space that no full demon dare tread, and I can be alone."

When her eyes had looked away, Naraku betrayed himself as a lustful, longing expression appeared on his face. A crooked smile crossed his face and he stretched his hand out towards her.

Kikyou straightened up and paused, her eyes locked on Naraku's.

Naraku, though he kept his appearance, lost the politeness of his voice. "Kikyou, you will be mine. I shall take you as my bride."

This was not the first time that a suitor, struck by her beauty, decided to stake a claim. It was the fate of one such as Kikyou – but she knew it would be impossible to ever fall in love with a mortal. Though they would be delighted to be in the company of her radiance, her post as high priestess would forever endanger any man. And, if she were ever to weaken by falling in love and forsaking her duties, it would only lead to her own death, as well of that of her admirer. It was her destiny to walk these lands alone.

But Naraku seemed unable to accept her fate. For as far back as she could remember, he had been there, watching her – always watching. True, he had the ability to change his appearance, but she always knew when it was him. As she grew older, and her beauty showed no signs of waning, instead only growing more profound, he became more persistent. On more than one occasion she had felt his presence in the most private of times, such as when she was sleeping or bathing.

Because he seemed to be something altogether different from a demon, Kikyou has no way of defeating him. Naraku seemed to be much more than a man, much more than a demon, and entirely obsessed with her beauty and strength. It was that obsession that kept him returning to her, though she never reciprocated his feelings. It was his own powers that enabled him to keep returning to her, without her stopping him.

For if she could stop him, she would.

Kikyou had no idea who or what Naraku was, but she had her own suspicions. She had long suspected him of being more than a mortal, regardless of his claims. The presence of his demonic aura was more than enough to show her that he was part-demon. But his demonic aura was something new – she had never sensed it before. Before, Onigumo was a simple man that's unnatural leering caused the normally unruffled Kikyou to squirm. It was later, when he began to refer to himself as Naraku, that Kikyou sensed his demonic aura as well as when she realized he had the ability to change his shape and size.

It seemed as if the mortal she had known as Onigumo had transformed into a demonic Naraku through some manner.

Kikyou wasn't sure how it could have happened, but it made sense to her. As it was now, there were only two creatures that were able to continually follow her and marvel at her beauty. One was Naraku, the other Inuyasha, a half-demon she had encountered during her travels.

In fact, the same hanyou that she had spied watching her once more, only that afternoon.

There was something about a half-demon, Inuyasha in particular though it seemed Naraku fit as well, that was protected from Kikyou's miko powers. Maybe it was because they, like she, did not really have a place in this world. While a hanyou found solace neither with youkai nor the human race, Kikyou's beauty and strength kept her separate from other mortals. It was her compassion for such creatures that shared in her fate that led her to spare the lives of both half-demons, allowing them to continue following her.

But, now it seemed that Naraku was not content to follow her – he wanted to have her. Kikyou was aware that would be his eventual goal, and now she found herself unable to reply. However, the disgust in her eyes said it all.

Naraku bowed, then, and when he stood erect once more, he grinned. "I'm tired of these foolish games, priestess."

Kikyou lowered her head. "Yes, I quite agree, Onigumo," she said before turning around. Her bow dangling in her hand, hanging down by her right side, she started to walk away.

Naraku watched Kikyou walk away as she had done so many times before. But this time, Naraku was unsatisfied. "Don't turn away from me, Kikyou."

When all she did was continue to walk, horrible anger flared up within Naraku. Using all of the demonic powers he possessed, he shot out a tentacle-like appendage from under his own clothing.

Such a dirty attack would be no match for Kikyou, ordinarily. However, once the strike had been made against the priestess, the hanyou leapt from out of nowhere, his claws outstretched. "Kikyou!"

Her focus no longer on Naraku, but on Inuyasha, the barrier surrounding the miko diminished greatly. Once the tentacle made contact, the force of the attack was so strong that it crumpled her barrier upon contact, striking her down immediately.

Inuyasha watched in horror as the priestess fell. Knowing that he could do nothing to help her now, Inuyasha turned against her attacker. His claws seemed to glow golden as he leapt down. "Iron reaver, soul stealer," he cried as he sliced Naraku in half. The demon's expression never changed as his top slid away from his bottom half.

Inuyasha landed with a soft _plop_ alongside Naraku's remains. Without even bothering to wipe the blood off of his claws, Inuyasha stood over Kikyou's fallen form. "Kikyou," he murmured, her beauty still profound even as she was dying. Ever since the first time he laid eyes on her, Inuyasha had imagined the moment when they shared their first moments together. Of the countless scenarios that had played in his infatuated mind, his proclamations of affection at the moment of her death had never occurred to him. The senseless slaughter of the woman in front of him, a woman he had followed for the past year in the hope of gathering the courage to speak to her, struck him at that moment. Then the normally cold hanyou did something he hadn't done since his own mother had died. He let a single tear escape.

As that one tear made its way down the his face, it carelessly fell slowly onto her face.

"Inu... Inuyasha," she gasped, the life spilling out of her, her eyes slowly closing. But, before they did, a pair of tears slid down her own cheeks. For the first time in her life, she was whole and feeling. And she cried.

When the two drops mixed, in an instant of what never was and what could never be, the two of them – the miko and the hanyou, vanished.

Naraku watched as it happened, his own blood staining the grass, a grim smile on his face. _You may have won this round, Kikyou_, he said, using the last of his strength to rejoin his body and heal the wounds inflicted on him by Inuyasha, _but I'll have you yet._ And with that, Naraku was gone.

_And so it was. That single tear, shed by a half-demon, mingled with one fallen from the lash of a woman who was finally able to feel, brought about a miracle. Thus Lady Kikyou was reborn as a higher being, and this very shrine was erected in her memory. It is also said that the same hanyou entered into the servitude of the priestess, forsaking his own life for the one of the woman he pitied from afar. And the despicable demon that cut short such a life, he himself disappeared. _

---

Just outside of an elaborate shrine, a young maiden sat on the grass, her feet folded under her simple kimono. Though there was no breeze around, her long black hair seemed to fan around her petite frame. With a sigh, she bowed her head in respect to the dead priestess, her long black hair falling into her large brown eyes as she did so. Her prayers were interrupted, however, when a voice seemed to ring through the trees. "Kagome!"

Higurashi Kagome quickly rose to her feet when she heard her mother's call. Quickly, she ran through the woods and made her way to the back of the cottage she shared with her mother, grandfather and brother. As she normally did, Kagome made sure to keep her head down, so as to not be bothered by the stares of the other villagers. Though she had been living in the same village for all of her fifteen years, many of her neighbors seemed unaccustomed to her brilliant beauty. It was something that could not be helped, so Kagome had learned early on to try to mask her own radiance as best she could.

Just before she entered the back of her cottage, Kagome slowed to an acceptable pace. Once she had caught her breath, and had run a hand through her glossy mane, she entered the small cottage and smiled at her mother. "Did you call, Mama?" she asked, a smile brightening up her face.

Her mother sighed. "Kagome, dear, so many people have stopped by today to see you, and you're out playing in the woods," she said as she pointed towards the hem of her daughter's kimono.

Kagome looked down and quickly brushed away a stray twig that had become entangled in her clothing. "I wasn't just out playing in the woods, Mama, I was visiting Lady Kikyou's shrine. Visiting her shrine always seems to give me strength when I have to deal with all these fools stopping by our cottage."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled sadly and placed a comforting hand through her daughter's hair. "I know you can't help looking the way you do, my dear, but maybe it would help if you were nicer to some of there, er, fools. One of them might make a fine suitor for you, Kagome."

Kagome tried to find truth in her mother's words, but concluded that it was hopeless. "Oh, Mama, you don't understand. None of those men want to court me – they just want to gawk at me. They don't love me for me, but for what I look like. Now I know exactly how Lady Kikyou felt – wanted by men just for her beauty and her powers. I just hope that I don't get struck down by someone that I turn down."

Mrs. Higurashi had to hide a smile at her daughter's dramatics. True, her daughter's own beauty was always being compared to the fabled beauty of the priestess that had perished in their village fifty years prior. However, if she remembered the story correctly, the evil demon, Naraku, disappeared the same day that Kikyou was slain, taking that hanyou with her to the afterlife. All Kagome had to worry about was the amorous glances of villagers and nobles alike. As she had no spiritual powers of her own, Kagome was in little danger of attracting a demon admirer.

_Which, of course, was a good thing_, reasoned her mother as Kagome sighed heavily and left to greet the people queuing up in front of her family's cottage. As it was, word of Kagome's beauty had spread far enough that nobles from other regions were coming to see if the rumors about such a beauty were true. There was hardly enough room in their little village to accommodate such visitors, let alone room for a demon to attack.

---

"Inuyasha."

"What?" came the curt reply from above.

Kikyou looked up from her cloud and saw the back of the hanyou, lying down on a cloud directly above her. She sighed and, with a flick of her wrist, she was floating above him.

Inuyasha, who had been feigning sleep, opening up one of his amber eyes. He twitched one of his white dog ears in annoyance as he glared at the spirit above him. "Yes, Kikyou? You called?"

Her face remaining expressionless, she sank down on the same cloud, resting next to his feet. "Yes. There is a slight problem down there."

Inuyasha rolled over slightly and peered down. "I don't see anything but white, Kikyou."

Kikyou knew that he was baiting her and, therefore, ignored his cheek. "You know that I was referring to Earth, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha turned back and propped himself up on his elbows. "Oh," he said, running his tongue across one of his pointy fangs, "you mean that place I got thrown out when Naraku did you in?"

Kikyou just looked at Inuyasha. She knew he was bitter that the one good action he had ever done had cost him his own Earthly existence. However, did that mean he had to be nasty? Choosing to ignore him as she usually did, she continued. "Yes, Inuyasha. And, as I was saying, there is a small problem on Earth. There is someone down there who believes she is my equal in beauty."

A smart reply died on Inuyasha's lips. Even now, fifty years after her death, Kikyou was very touchy on the subject of her beauty and the memory of it's splendor. "So, what are you telling me for?"

Kikyou grinned. "I want you to go take care of it."


	2. II Take a chance, resist all temptation

Disclaimer: _I own neither the characters of Inuyasha (© Rumiko Takahashi, 1996-present), nor the Roman myth of Psyche & Cupid. If you can see the parallels between the two stories, I applaud you. If not, please enjoy my interpretations presented here within as cheap entertainment._

--

PSYCHE

_Being beautiiful can be a burden. Just ask Higurashi Kagome.  
Her own appearance caused her to be caught up with a jealous spirit, an obsessed demon, a cursed well and a bitter hanyou.  
And that's only the beginning…_

--

**II. Take a chance, resist all temptations**

**--**

Inuyasha peered into Kikyou's soulless brown eyes, trying to find the sarcasm or untruths hidden behind her mask of a smile. Surely Kikyou was not offering him the chance to step foot on Earth again.

Kikyou, as always, seemed to know exactly what thoughts were crossing his mind. "I assure you, Inuyasha, that what I speak is the truth. I want you to rid me of this Higurashi girl, Kagome - for that, I require you to return to the mortal realm."

_Kagome, huh?_ _I've never heard the name of one of Kikyou's victims before. _Inuyasha sat up - this might be interesting. "How do you want me to do that?" he asked, the claws on his right hand extending with a sickening _crunch_.

Impatient, Kikyou waved her hand over his. A faint purple aura surrounded the former priestess' slender hand as it breezed by his claws. Upon contact the outstretched claws retracted into his hand, nothing more than sharpened nails.

Inuyasha scowled at the transformation. Even though it had been fifty mortal years since the pair were bound together and divinized into spirits, able to watch over mortals while living in their band of clouds, he had never become accustomed to the effects of Kikyou's spiritual powers when used upon him.

For the spirit, whose reward for her Earthly servitude was to be commissioned amongst the Gods and worshipped in her own right, retained both the spiritual powers that were bestowed upon her, as well as the Heavenly beauty she had possessed while alive. If anything, both qualities seemed to have increased ten-fold after she had been chosen by the Gods, along with her servant, Inuyasha, to keep watch over mortal affairs – especially in regards to the infamous Shikon no Tama, a jewel guaranteed to bring its possessor up to the level of the Gods.

The story of the sacred jewel was as legendary as Kikyou's own tragic life; both were told as myths, with hardly anyone believing in their existence.

Kikyou herself had only learned of the jewel's existence after her death. The Shikon no Tama was a jewel whose power would only work in the possession of a mortal. As Kikyou was a priestess whose duty was to ward off demons, a human treasure, spoken of mostly in tales, was of little significance to her in life.

In death, however, the Shikon jewel was very important. The Gods had entrusted Kikyou with the task of protecting the jewel, the last defense of the holy object. It was through this position, however, that Kikyou did more than guard the jewel. She used her post to observe mortals and seek out any that were potential rivals in both beauty and spirituality.

Though it was obvious why the Gods would want a jewel such as the Shikon no Tama sealed away, Kikyou, too, had a desire to keep it hidden. What if a mortal were to chance upon the jewel and use it to become as beautiful and powerful as she was in life? Kikyou, who had been struck down at such an early age, just past eighteen, would be forgotten. All of her good deeds and sacrifices would have been for naught.

And Inuyasha knew that Kikyou would do everything she could, including severing the strong bond that kept him at her side and allowing him to return to Earth to serve her purposes, in order to keep her own memory intact.

He dared a glance at Kikyou, still floating just above him, and, though the strong bond forged from his foolish act of heroism a half century prior kept him at her side so he was used to her by now, he appreciated the allure of the spirit. _If only she wasn't such a cold heartless bitch_, he thought. He had never thought that she was so vain, neither. She had shown neither quality to him while they were both alive. _If only I knew then what I know now._

Fighting a sigh, Inuyasha twitched his ears again. A new thought had just occurred to him. He was aware that Kagome would not be the first mortal that Kikyou had destroyed due to her jealous need to remain the greatest: the most beautiful, the most powerful. Out of her jealous desires, she had convinced the Gods to create for her a band of menial demons. She explained that she could do a far better job guarding the Shikon no Tama if she had servants that were able to enter between the two realms freely; the same servants she would later use to destroy any rival she found. The Gods agreed and allowed her control of a small sect of demons in order to contend with blasphemous mortals, should they draw to close to the sacred jewel. These demons were called her "helpers", but Inuyasha knew better - he referred to them as "soul collectors", since they were always disposing of Kikyou's competition and bringing their souls to Heaven, regardless of their proximity to the jewel.

But, if she had such obedient demons at her beck and call, why was she giving her only reluctant servant the chance to return to Earth for such a routine extermination? Surely there was more to this than Kikyou was telling him.

And, of course, there was. But she wasn't going to tell him that just yet.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to ask, but Kikyou cut him off. "You ask me how I would have you get rid of this girl?" She made a motion with her hands and, instantly, she held a bow and arrow. She offered it to him. "Take this bow and arrow, Inuyasha, and pierce her heart with them."

He accepted the tools from Kikyou. "You want me to kill her with a bow and arrow? You know, my claws would be much easier. And quicker."

Kikyou laughed. It was a low laugh that sounded hollow. It suited her. "Oh, I don't want to kill the girl. I want to destroy her."

His amber eyes reflected curiosity but Inuyasha knew better than to question her motives. When it came to preserving her memory one did not ask why. Instead, he asked, "How will this bow and arrow destroy her if it's not supposed to kill her?"

Kikyou refused to meet his eyes; she stared straight into the open abyss of the Spirit plane and waited a moment before answering him. "This arrow has great powers. Once it pierces her heart, her destiny will be re-written. This arrow will cause her to fall in love the wickedest man alive. Once her fate is fulfilled, she will live the remainder of her life in bondage by a man she can not help but to adore. Her beauty will wane on its own accord until the precious young maiden is nothing more than a hideous old maid. Think, Inuyasha: if the girl truly is my equal in beauty, and her life is snatched away from her, all will remember her as the girl she is now. That is the last thing I would want. For one so beautiful, such as this Kagome, the greatest sin is for that beauty to fade."

Inuyasha blinked twice and stared at Kikyou in disbelief. Never had he before heard anything so cold cross her lips – she must view this Kagome as a great threat. Knowing that, he was not about to refuse her mission.

There was a hitch. After he had been brought to Heaven with Kikyou fifty years ago, all he had tried to do was return to Earth. Unfortunately, he found himself unable to go more than a few steps away from the priestess.

Meanwhile, Kikyou took his uncharacteristic silence to be understanding. Still floating, she cupped her hands so that they were closed and mumbled a few words. A similar purple haze covered her hands. Once the aura had subsided, Kikyou opened her hands. There, in her open palm, sat a set of prayer beads. "Inuyasha, I am willing to offer you these enchanted beads. As a divinized spirit, I am only able to return to Earth myself within the confines of my shrine. Though this girl does reside in my old village, I am not able to take care of her myself. I, then, have no need for these beads, but they will allow you to travel back and forth between the Spirit plane and Earth. That is, as long as you have business to attend to."

Inuyasha placed the bow and arrow on the cloud and reached for the beads. But Kikyou made no move to had them over to him.

"Inuyasha, promise me. Promise me that if I give you these beads you will take care of the girl."

Inuyasha hesitated. As her intensity sent waves of purification out of her body, Inuyasha felt uncomfortable. He held out his hand for the prayer beads, using a callous smirk to mask his uneasiness. "Whatever. Just give me those stupid beads."

Kikyou nodded and folded her hands in prayer. She muttered a few simple words more and the beads began to glow brightly. As Inuyasha watched, the beads flew out of Kikyou's hands and settled themselves around his neck.

He tugged at the beads. "You mean, I actually gotta wear these things?" he snarled, trying to lift them up over his head.

Kikyou glanced at him. "Your attempts are in vain, Inuyasha. Those beads will only break free when I wish it."

He continued to pull at them, regardless of her words. "After all these years, this is how much you trust me?" he snapped, before dropping his hands to his side, in defeat. Still sitting on his cloud, he swiveled around so that his back was facing Kikyou's floating form.

She bristled at his action. "Inuyasha... Sit."

Before he could reply to her obvious dog reference, the strength of the prayer beads forced him face down. As he was only resting on a cloud to begin with, the extreme pull in which the beads exerted sent him tumbling straight out of Heaven.

Kikyou raised an eyebrow as the cloud quickly mended itself, erasing any sign that a hanyou had just crashed through. With a sigh, she noticed that in his hurried exit, Inuyasha had left the bow and arrow behind.

She wafted over to where the two objects lay, discarded, on the side of the repaired cloud. She waved her right hand over them and they were gone.

With a satisfied glint in her normally expressionless eyes, Kikyou floated gently down to resume her perch on the cloud below. She had no doubts that Inuyasha would complete the job – but would he return back to her?

_Of course_, she mused, _Inuyasha_ _loves me._

She flicked her wrist and conjured up her _mortal mirror, _a second gift from the Gods that enabled her the power to keep watch over the Shikon no Tama, and any human who may try to take possession of it. It was this mirror that she also used to search the world for anyone who may strike her as a rival. She had found Kagome through this mirror.

She resisted the urge to spy on Inuyasha, instead focusing the mirror on the cave in which the jewel lay dormant. She would show her companion just how much she trusted him.

---

Kagome sat out on the front porch of her family's cottage, her hand cupping her chin. Anyone else seen in this position would appear to be bored – and she was. However, the three boys surrounding her found her nothing short of awe-inspiring.

It has been like that for the past hour. _No,_ corrected Kagome, _not just the past hour. The past few months._ Ever since a passing visitor had chanced upon the Higurashi cottage and spied Kagome while asking for shelter, rumor of her beauty had spread to nearby villages. Following that encounter, she had been plagued by visitors who all sought to make her their bride, but actually lacked the ability to speak to her when in her presence.

And, as it had been ever since, Kagome had to endure the visits of varied men as they came to call and spend the evening sitting in her company in silence. Not only did this make her extremely bored, it also made her very lonely. She didn't want to be adored. She wanted to be just like the other village girls – surrounded by friends and family. Kagome herself had very few friends; the girls were all jealous of her appearance, while the boys could never work up the nerve to approach her.

Well, most of the boys.

"Higurashi!"

Kagome lifted her head out of her hand and smiled. "Hojou!"

A handsome young man, close in age to Kagome, came hurrying forward, freshly picked flowers in his hand. Right before he reached the front porch, he knelt down and held out the flowers. "For you," he said as Kagome blushed.

She accepted the flowers and inhaled deeply the little white buds. Immediately she began to cough as the strength of the odor caused her eyes to tear.

Hojou was oblivious to her discomfort. "My mother told me that these flowers produced very strong medicines. Whenever you have taken ill, boil some of these in water and breathe in the steam. You'll feel as good as new."

Her attack over and sense of smell returned, Kagome grinned, somewhat weakly. "Thanks, Hojou. I'll keep that in mind."

Hojou nodded before sitting himself down on the porch next to her three other suitors, each one looking more surprised than the next.

He turned and smiled at the others. "Oh, have you fellas come to see Kagome as well?"

The tallest of the three, a muscular boy with a long dark ponytail, glared at Hojou. "Why yes," he answered quite possessively. "Kagome is my woman," he continued as his two companions nodded their heads.

Kagome grimaced. _Oh, Kouga_. He hadn't said more than one word since he, and his pair of lackeys, had arrived earlier that evening. Now he was acting like he owned her. "Boys," she began, and all four heads turned to her. It was almost if, in the midst of all of the testosterone, they had forgotten she was there. "This is my friend, Hojou, from the village," she said for the benefit of Kouga and his friends, "and he is as welcome here as you are."

Hojou, the smile still on his face, nodded. The three other boys looked away, embarrassed, as if Kagome were scolding them.

There was a moment of awkward silence that was broken when Kouga stood up. He gestured to the other two before facing Kagome and grasping her hands in his strong ones. "My apologies, Kagome. Shall we call on you again tomorrow?" he said in a sweeter tone than the previous possessive one he used with Hojou.

Kagome blushed faintly at his proximity and formality. "You may – if you want." Kagome wasn't so good with all the formal courtship things.

Kouga nodded and began to walk away, his companions following close behind. But, before he had left the Higurashi property, he turned and glared fiercely at Hojou, who remained oblivious to it all.

Kagome waved the three boys off before turning her attention to Hojou. _A friend_, she had called him. If only she could tell everyone that she saw him as much more than that.

He was a companion, a confidante, a comfort. She could always count on him to sit with her nightly, alone or with various other boys, carrying a conversation or content in her company.

If there was anyone she would allow to capture her heart, it would be Hojou. If he hadn't already captured it, anyway.

Kagome folded the skirt of her kimono under her before sitting by Hojou's side. She was gawking slightly at his profile when she saw his kind smile turn nasty.

Kagome, concerned, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is something wrong, Hojou?"

He shrugged off her hand as he rose, staring at the path leading up to the Higurashi cottage. She followed his gaze and was surprised to see his malice focused on an elderly woman groping her way forward.

Kagome got to her feet and rushed forward. The woman, though she only wore a single eye patch covering her left eye, was finding it difficult to travel in the coming darkness, brought by the setting of the sun.

When she approached the woman, leaving Hojou to sneer uncharacteristically back on the porch, Kagome held out one of her arms. "Here, old woman, let me help you."

The stranger grabbed hold of Kagome's sleeve with her right hand but, when Kagome began to lead her forward, she paused.

Before she could question her, the woman used her left hand to gently feel the features of Kagome's face. "Be ye Kagome Higurashi?" she rasped in a softly accented voice.

Kagome waited until the woman had lowered her hand from her face to answer. "Yes, that's me," she said, confusion creeping into her tone.

"I am the priestess Kaede and I have traveled long and hard in search of ye, child," the woman said. "Am I correct, ye are still a child?"

_So I was right. She can't see_, thought Kagome before nodding. Then, remembering her earlier thought, and feeling foolish, she said, "Yes, Lady Kaede."

Kaede nodded to herself. "Good, then. That part of the prophecy is true. I feared it may have taken me too long to find ye," she rasped, then started to lumber forward.

"Prophecy?" asked Kagome before continuing to gently lead Kaede to the porch of the cottage.

"Yes, child. After such a search, I think that I have finally found the girl spoken of in a prophecy I have seen. Ye should be glad. I know that I am," Kaede answered, as if talk of prophecies was normally and Kagome should be pleased that there was one about her.

As the old woman drew nearer, Hojou's handsome face distorted further. "You don't actually believe anything this woman is saying, do you, Kagome? Look at her. She appears not as a priestess but as beggar – and a thief, I'd bet."

Kagome glanced upon the weathered face of the old blind woman. Her gaze traveled downward until they spied the worn and torn traveling clothes, rather unlike the garments a priestess normally wore. But Kagome knew better than anyone to judge someone solely based on their outer appearance. Afterall, people had been doing that to her her entire life.

Besides, she also knew all of the tales. As her grandfather had told her countless times, the strongest priestesses achieved their spiritual powers by forsaking Earthly pleasures. And, she remembered, it was said that it was those who were unable to see with their eyes that had the ability to see better than anyone else. If Kaede said she was a priestess with a prophecy, Kagome believed her.

But, didn't Hojou know the same tales, the same lore? What happened to the kind boy who did whatever he could to help anyone in need? Why was he so reluctant to help this particular elderly woman?

In disbelief Kagome stared at Hojou. "I think it would be best if you returned to your mother, Hojou. If this poor woman is indeed a thief, I wouldn't want you to be robbed of your pompousness," she said heatedly. Maybe she had been wrong; maybe Hojou was just like the others, only kind and caring towards her because she was beautiful. If Hojou was reluctant to help Kaede because she was old and blind, what would he do when her beauty, no doubt, faded? Loneliness overwhelmed her as she remembered what she had said to her mother earlier that evening: _Oh, Mama, you don't understand. None of those men want to court me – they just want to gawk at me. They don't love me for me, but for what I look like. _She had never, before now, included Hojou is such statements as those. Now she felt that it was only right, now that he had shown his true nature.

Hojou watched indignantly as Kagome helped Kaede step onto the porch and led her past him. "Here, Lady Kaede. Come with me into my family's cottage and we can speak more of the reason of your appearance."

After she had opened the cottage door and helped Kaede inside, Kagome peeked her head back out. "And I thought you were different," she said, tears beginning to dwell in her large grey eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome. It's just that I wanted to make sure that you weren't taken in by a bandit. You are so kind and trusting, one must ensure your safety," he answered, quietly, trying to bring back the grin to his face.

Kagome stared at him for a moment before bowing her head and closing the cottage door.

He wanted to ensure her safety – loneliness was safer.


	3. III Where, then, do we belong?

Disclaimer: _I own neither the characters of Inuyasha (© Rumiko Takahashi, 1996-present), nor the Roman myth of Psyche & Cupid. If you can see the parallels between the two stories, I applaud you. If not, please enjoy my interpretations presented here within as cheap entertainment._

--

PSYCHE

_Being beautiiful can be a burden. Just ask Higurashi Kagome.  
Her own appearance caused her to be caught up with a jealous spirit, an obsessed demon, a cursed well and a bitter hanyou.  
And that's only the beginning…_

--

**III. Where, then, do we belong?**

**--**

Inuyasha landed face down onto a patch of grass. He remained on the ground, inhaling the sweet smells of Earth. Even after the spell of the beads had faded, allowing him to get to his feet, he refused to move. He was too busy trying to contain himself from rolling around in the dirt.

He took in a deep breath, using his nose to sort through the various scents. Once he was content in the observation that he was, indeed, back on Earth, Inuyasha slowly stood up. Bracing his back, he looked up skywards. _That was one hell of a fall_, he thought before anxiously pulling at the beads around his neck. _Damn you, Kikyou_.

His hands dropped to his side. There, just in front of him, a hazy purple cloud appeared. Inuyasha squatted down and reached out his claws. _Feh_, he muttered, waving his hand in order to disperse the cloud. When it was clear, he crossed his arms over his chest and peered at the ground. There sat Kikyou's bow and arrow. _If you could transport this bow and arrow so easily, Kikyou, why was I dropped down?_

He sighed and picked up the two objects. Tucking them inside his red haori, Inuyasha looked around, his long white hair swaying in the slight breeze. The ears on top of his head, so resembling those of a dog, twitched as he listened for any sound that would identify his location.

With a faint hint of recognition, Inuyasha knew he was, once more, in the forest where he had vanished fifty years ago. "Of course she would find it suiting to send me back to this place," he huffed, half considering just refusing to obey Kikyou, now that he had the opportunity to be finally be parted from her side.

"Inuyasha."

He spun around and crouched down into a fighting stance, his claws outstretched. "Who's there?" He was not yet entirely readjusted to the mortal realm. If he was caught off-guard, his next move could be his last.

From inside a tiny shrine came a hollow laugh. _Kikyou_. Of course.

He straightened up and took a tentative step forward toward the small building, disregarding a plaque that stood on a podium just to his side. "Kikyou, is that you?"

"I told you, Inuyasha. I can only return to Earth within the confines of my own shrine."

Inuyasha continued to move forward until he was just a few feet outside the door. Peering inside, he smirked at the near-transparent form hovering inside. "Not all of you, though, eh, Kikyou?"

Kikyou looked down at her faded body. _Well, Inuyasha, this is what happens when I send an apparition down just so my conscience can have piece of mind that those beads worked_, she thought. But he didn't need to know that. Instead, she flicked her wrist and pointed downwards. "Sit, boy."

He didn't have a chance. Prepared this time, his amber eyes closed themselves as he fell face down into the dirt. He stayed down, resisting the urge to jump to his feet and throttle the gloating spirit. It was a shame she was already dead.

Inuyasha jumped up regardless, but stayed outside of the shrine. "Kikyou," he growled, pulling at the faintly glowing beads around his neck, "what the hell are these?"

"Oh, Inuyasha. Did I forget to mention that those were beads of subjugation?" Kikyou answered. He wasn't sure if it was just a trick of the sunlight, but he could almost swear that she was smiling.

"You've got to be kidding me. So, as long as I wear this, anytime someone says si— that damn 's' word – I'm gonna fall down on my face?"

Kikyou felt a pull on her apparition. The mortal mirror her true form held in the Spirit plane was drawing her back. "No, Inuyasha. Only I hold that power. Anyway, that's not why I'm here. I realized that you might not be able to find the girl. I figured that, as you were wearing my beads, you would land just outside of my shrine. Luckily, I was correct and I found you here now so I can tell you where to go. Just outside of the forest – you do remember this forest, don't you? And the village?" she asked, prolonging her stay, despite her body becoming even more so transparent.

"Feh," was all he responded. Of course he remembered.

"Well, the girl's family lives in a cottage just past the forest's edge. If you head in that direction, her home is the first one you'll come to," Kikyou explained.

Inuyasha was glad that she had come. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he had been wondering how exactly she intended him to find the girl. _Kagome, wasn't it_, he wondered before shrugging. It didn't really matter. "If you say so, Kikyou. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get this over with."

Kikyou nodded. "Enjoy yourself, Inuyasha. These beads will allow you to remain until you see fit to return to Heaven. It seems fair that you should have a little freedom after fifty years, don't you think. That is, if you do what I ask and take care of her."

Inuyasha's eyes gleamed at the opportunity. All he had to do was shoot an arrow at one helpless mortal girl and he was free?

Kikyou caught the look and peered intensely at the hanyou. "A little freedom, Inuyasha. I can recall you to Heaven anytime I wish. Please don't make me." And, with those parting words, Kikyou faded entirely.

He ignored Kikyou's warning. After all, he was a free half-demon, at least for the time being. And what did he feel like doing, now that he was free?

His grumbling stomach answered for him. It seemed that since he was back on earth, he had regained his foresaken humanoid form. That, at least, accounted for the back pain he had felt upon his crash-landing. And, now, he was hungry. "Food first, work later," he mused before taking a deep breath and heading off in the direction of the village. Someone was cooking dinner and it smelt great to his demon nose.

It was good to be back.

---

Kagome stared at the back of the door for a second longer before taking hold of Kaede's arm. "Just a bit further, Lady Kaede. I'm going to bring you into our kitchen."

"Ye are a good soul, Kagome. I see that the prophecy was right about that too."

Curiosity filled her but Kagome chose to ignore it as she continued to lead Kaede through the cottage. When she entered the small kitchen she found her mother and grandfather sipping tea together.

Her mother looked up first. "Oh, Kagome, have you sent home all of the boys already?"

She nodded before gesturing towards Kaede. "Yes, Mama. I have a different sort of visitor tonight. Mama, Gramps, this is Lady Kaede."

Her mother smiled warmly while her grandfather placed his teacup down and peered at Kaede. "You wouldn't be the priestess Kaede, would you? I have heard many tales about the prophetess sharing visions. In fact, I remember–"

"Gramps," interrupted Kagome, not in the mood to hear any of her grandfather's tales, "Lady Kaede had come to see me tonight because of a prophecy."

"Hey, what's going on, sis?"

Kagome's mother looked up at the young boy that seemed to have just appeared at the table. "Souta, I thought you took Buuyo with you and went to bed?"

He paused for a moment before answering. "I saw Kagome bringing an old lady inside and I wanted to see what was happening."

His mother nodded but Kagome felt her cheeks grow hot. "Were you spying on me, Souta?"

Their grandfather, sensing trouble brewing between Kagome and her younger brother, rose from the table before helping Kaede into the vacant seat. "Please take a seat, priestess. I'm very interested to hear about this prophecy regarding our Kagome."

Kagome shot her brother a dirty look before turning to face Kaede. The old woman was sitting in the chair, looking straight ahead. The blank stare in the eye not covered by an eye patch unnerved Kagome but she was too kind to look away, even though the priestess would never know. "Yes, Lady Kaede. Please tell us why you've journeyed here to our cottage."

Kaede cocked her head in the direction in which she heard Kagome's voice. "Kagome, child, I have been a priestess for a very long time and, as ye can see, I have grown old. But with age too comes wisdom."

Kagome's grandfather, standing behind Kaede's seat, straightened up with pride and rested his hand on the top of her chair. "See, kids. Listen to the fine priestess. She knows what she is talking about."

Kaede's wrinkled and weathered face split into a weak smile. "Yes, well, the weight of wisdom can be a burden for a few. Quite some time ago, as I attended to my duties, a chill came over me, though it still be summer. I went into my small hut and started a fire to warm my old bones. Once the fire had been started, and I sat beside it for the heat, I had a vision."

"Hey, Mama," interrupted Souta in what he obviously thought was a whisper but wasn't, "how can that old woman see anything? She looks blind to me."

Kagome's mother began to hush Souta while her grandfather cringed. Kagome, never one to be surprised at the extent of her brother's density, smacked her forehead with her palm.

Kaede, on the other hand, chuckled. "Right you are, child. I no longer can see thing as they once were – but I can see better things now."

Souta was interested. "Really? Like what?"

Though Kaede kept her head tilted towards Kagome she was clearly speaking to the younger Higurashi. "Well, this prophecy, for example. I had a vision about a young maiden whose inexplicable outer beauty was as great as the extent of her kind soul."

She then paused and, as the tone of her voice softened, she seemed to be addressing Kagome again. "It was such a strange vision for me. I usually have visions regarding the villagers in my homeland. As they are usually much more specific that your prophecy, I was concerned about it and set off at once to find such a maiden. I have traveled long and hard for such a girl, but none were as beautiful and as kind as the one I had envisioned. I was actually on my way back home when I happened to stop at an inn just outside this very village. The same night, the inn was host to another traveler full of tales of an enchanting beauty he encountered. As I sat and listened to that man as he spoke so highly of you, Kagome, that I was compelled to make my way towards your cottage."

Kagome listened to the elderly woman speak. When Kaede took a moment's pause, Kagome jumped in. "If you don't know exactly who you are looking for in regards to your prophecy, how can you be sure it's me? I mean, I know I'm pretty enough and I can be nice if I want to, but I wouldn't say that I come close enough to matching that description."

"I think you are gorgeous, Kagome," Souta said, taking his sister by surprise.

"Thanks, Souta," she replied uncertainly, waiting for any kind of sarcastic comment. Souta was her little brother – he was supposed to say she was "icky".

But he had nothing else to say. Kagome shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the priestess. "Lady Kaede?"

"Kagome, ye ask why I say that this prophecy is about ye? Like I've said before, I may not be able to see with my eyes any longer but that my other senses that much stronger. The moment I found myself before ye, I knew. Ye have the most powerful spiritual aura I have ever felt – ye are the maiden I have been looking for."

Kagome lowered her gaze as if embarrassed. "Oh. If you're sure."

"Yes. And, now I've found ye, I fear it is now time to tell ye of your destiny." Kaede pushed her seat away from the table and struggled to get to her feet. She accepted help from both Kagome and her grandfather so that she was steady.

Once she was standing, Kaede closed her only visible eye and, in a voice much lower and harsher than her own, she began to recite:

_Unaware of her destiny she lives, a beauty beyond any other, yet dwarfed only by the enormous size of her soul. This maiden, it is to be understood, is fated for no mortal man nor demon. However, a lost soul, a combination of man and monster, shall make the girl his own. And, it is this pairing, that shall carry peace throughout the land. The girl must be told of her fate. She must understand that she only has the power to tame such a beast. She must willingly forsake her own desires for she shall save the world. Only then, by the sacred well, she will truly understand her own power. But, tally not. The moon's cycle draws to an end. The new moon shall blossom and, if it should find the girl far from the well, all is lost…_

Once she finished the last word, she slumped down. Kagome's grandfather reached forward and caught her under her arm in time, before she landed against the floor. He gently guided the spent priestess back into her seat.

Kagome, meanwhile, stood frozen, her mouth slightly open. She turned helplessly from Kaede, staring at her grandfather, brother and mother each in turn. "What...?" she asked, unable to form any sort of real question.

Souta was the first to make a coherent comment. "Does that mean that Kagome has to leave us to live by the well and marry some half-breed monster?"

Kagome's eyes welled up with tears and she hurried to her mother. Her mother welcomed her in with open arms. "Of course not," she murmured, petting Kagome's long, dark hair.

Once her grandfather was sure that the priestess would not fall out of the chair, he looked over at the two women. "Actually, that's exactly what it does mean."

Kagome let out a tiny shriek and buried her head in her mother's shoulder. Her mother sighed and hugged her daughter protectively. "Dad, you're not helping."

He sniffed. "You know as well as I do that Kagome's destiny is set – we can't go against fate. We shall have to bring her to the sacred bone-eater well before the moon's cycle ends."

Kagome pulled away from her mother and gaped at her grandfather. "But the new moon is in a week. You're sending me away already, Gramps? I don't care what the Gods' say. I'm not going," she claimed defiantly.

Kaede began shaking at this point. Everyone paused as they watched the elderly woman tremble. "Priestess?" asked the grandfather hesitantly.

As soon as the tremors started they ceased. In a weak sort of voice, Kaede said simply this: "Kagome, ye have to go. Tomorrow." And, with that, she slumped to her side.

Kagome clung to her mother and Souta rose from the table and bolted from the room. Kagome's mother held onto her daughter as she addressed her father with wide eyes. "Dad, is she alright?"

He reached forward and took hold of one Kaede's limp hands. He waited a moment before sighing in relief. "She is. I think that strength of the prophecy has drained her. After all, she isn't a spring chicken." He lowered himself a bit before trying to bring her to her feet. He moaned when he realized that he wouldn't be able to do it alone. "Dear, will you help me? I'm going to lay the priestess on the futon in the den."

Kagome's mother nodded before giving her daughter a squeeze. "Kagome, honey, why don't you get some sleep. I know this is all seems a bit much and so soon, but we'll talk about it tomorrow morning."

Kagome nodded before wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "Sure, Mama," she replied. She knew it would make no sense to argue now – she would just have to way until tomorrow. Because, if there was one thing she knew, she wasn't going to marry a monster.

---

With a jump and a soft landing, Inuyasha found himself perched on a window ledge, two stories up, on the backside of the cottage. He cupped his hands around his eyes and pressed his nose up against the glass. With the faint moonlight high overhead, Inuyasha was able to make out a sleeping form inside. The figure was petite, but, as her face was turned toward the wall, all he could spy was long raven tresses spilling over the side of the bed.

He hesitated for a moment and lowered his gaze to where he knew he kept Kikyou's enchanted bow and arrow. He hope the spirit knew what she was doing. _Though_, he reasoned with a smirk_, they might not let me back into Heaven if I try to return with an innocent's blood on my hands._

As quietly as he could, Inuyasha tried to pry open the window. His impatience got the better of him, though. When the window seemed to give some resistance, he heaved against it. While he succeeded in opening it, the force of his shove sent him spilling onto her bedroom floor.

He recovered himself mid-fall and landed in a squat. Not as graceful or as quiet of an entry as he would have liked but, as he reminded himself, this was his first time doing anything other than lying on a cloud for fifty years. He was allowed a few mistakes here or there. As long as the girl didn't know he was there.

Inuyasha stayed down low and glanced over at the bed. The girl hadn't moved at all. And, luckily for him, the way she lay on her bed have him a clear shot to her back where, if he let loose the arrow hard enough, it should pierce her heart.

Remembering why he was prowling around in this young girl's room, he stood from the floor and pulled out the bow and arrow from under his haori. He strung up the bow and, when he was satisfied that it was ready, he held the arrow up next to the string. He was just about to pull back on the bow when he heard a noise.

The girl let out a snore.

Inuyasha was unprepared for such a loud noise to disrupt the quiet night air. Though he made no noise himself, the arrow he had held against the bow tumbled to the floor.

He resisted the urge to curse aloud. Inuyasha could kick himself for being so clumsy as to drop the arrow. He had watched Kikyou countless times string her bow and fit an arrow to it – she had made it seem so easy. He tried it again, placing the arrow against the string before pausing.

The girl was stirring.

"I don't want to go," she murmured as she turned over in her sleep, her eyes still closed. She snuggled up against her pillow before resting, her face now fully visible to the hanyou.

For the second time, Inuyasha dropped the arrow as well as the bow. He froze, his eyes wide as he took in the image of the sleeping beauty. _It can't be_, he thought, _there is no way that can be her_.

But, even in the limited light shed by the moon, there was no mistaking it. "Kikyou?" he whispered, reaching out a hand for the girl, without even thinking.

She didn't open her eyes, but she was restless in her slumber, wrapping her sheets around her legs. "I don't believe in fate, Mama," she whispered, oblivious to Inuyasha's presence in her room.

Inuyasha took a step back, glaring at his hand as if it betrayed him. When he was sure his hand would not repeat such a transgression again, he closed one eye and squinted at Kagome. He could see now that she wasn't Kikyou, though the resemblance was striking. Her beauty was so profound, even in sleep, that he was speechless for a moment. He could see now why Kikyou was so desperate to get this girl; not only was Kagome her near-exact double, there was a softness about her features that surpassed even Kikyou's beauty.

Inuyasha crept forward so not to wake her up. He could tell she was having a fitful sleep and it would be fairly simple for her to awaken. He bent down and grabbed the fallen bow and arrow. With a swift breath, he fitted the arrow against the bow, aiming for her heart. He pulled the string back, ready to complete Kikyou's task.

"Do I really have to go to that stupid well? I don't wanna," she said, her voice trailing off before being replaced by faint snoring.

He let the string go lax and stared at the girl who so resembled Kikyou. What was she dreaming about? He smiled, amidst the strange circumstances that he found himself in, and appreciated the sight of Kagome. It was almost as if he was watching Kikyou sleep.

Without him realizing, his hand began to reach out for her again. Watching the girl sleep so innocently, Inuyasha could imagine he was back in the time when his heart belonged to Kikyou and he fantasized of the moments he could watch the miko sleep. His amber eyes reflected sadness as his memories took him back. He never had the chance to see Kikyou sleep, carefree – unless you count the moment of her death. And even then, she had never managed to look as innocent as this Kagome.

Thinking of Kikyou, and the sorrowful expression that had crossed her face as she closed her eyes for the last time, Inuyasha remembered his duty. He held taut the bowstring once more and looked down upon the girl. _Kikyou_.

Inuyasha shook his head before pointing the arrow down. He couldn't do it. No doubt Kikyou thought it would be humorous to send him to dispose of her double. But, even though he knew the arrow wouldn't kill the girl, he couldn't bring himself to curse the young girl who did nothing wrong, save resemble a jealous spirit.

_Damn you, Kikyou. Send one of your soul collectors to take care of this one_, he sneered, tucking the bow and arrow back inside of his red haori. He jumped back onto the window ledge, ready to leap outside the open window. But, before he left, his gaze fell onto the girl. She really was beautiful.

"Feh," he snorted, somewhat annoyed at his own inability to finish his mission.

With that one little noise, Kagome sat up in her bed. Rubbing her eyes and then squinting to see in the darkness, she could see a shadowy figure lurking on her window ledge, apparently frozen.

Inuyasha was unprepared for this. _She slept throughout the entire time I was in here, and now she wakes up? _He looked at the girl, who was staring stupidly towards the window.

He was just about to give up and leap out the open window when he noticed that Kagome had got out of her bed and was taking a step towards him. As she drew closer, two prominent inuhanyou features seemed to jump out at her: the pointy canine fangs and the fluffy white dog ears on top of his head.

Kagome jumped back, before lifting up her hand and pointing at Inuyasha. "You're... you're a dog demon?" she whispered. She gawked for a moment before her shock turned to anger. "What are you doing in my room?" she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air.

Inuyasha felt a wave of panic as he tried to hush her. The last thing he needed was for her entire family to wake up and find him in her bedroom. "Quiet, girl," he hissed, about to stand down from the ledge.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Sit, boy," she cried. She had no idea if he would heed the command, but Kagome had seen a nearby village girl tell her dog to sit when misbehaving; maybe it would work on dog demons.

As he was still on the ledge when Kagome shrieked the "sit" command, unaware of the result it would have, Inuyasha went crashing out of the window, landing face down in the earth behind the Higurashi cottage.

When she saw the strange demon fall out of her bedroom window, Kagome rushed forward to see if he had survived the fall. _If that was even a demon_, she thought, trying to see into her dark backyard. _I thought that demons were a bit more agile than that._

She tried to make out any figure but it was near impossible from her second story window. Quickly, she reached for her robe and, throwing it on, ran down the stairs and out the back door, crossing her fingers that neither her family nor Kaede had heard anything that had taken place. She wasn't sure she could explain what she was doing running around so late at night – after a supposed dog demon, no less.

Once she was outside, Kagome hurried to the area just under her own bedroom window. However, there was no sign of an inu demon at all. Well, except for the rather large hole in the ground where the demon had landed forcefully.


	4. IV If a well should come between us

Disclaimer: _I own neither the characters of Inuyasha (© Rumiko Takahashi, 1996-present), nor the Roman myth of Psyche & Cupid. If you can see the parallels between the two stories, I applaud you. If not, please enjoy my interpretations presented here within as cheap entertainment._

--

PSYCHE

_Being beautiiful can be a burden. Just ask Higurashi Kagome.  
Her own appearance caused her to be caught up with a jealous spirit, an obsessed demon, a cursed well and a bitter hanyou.  
And that's only the beginning…_

--

**IV. If a well should come between us**

**--**

It had been such a strange dream. Some dog-demon type creature had stood on her windowsill before plummeting to the ground. In her daze, she had even thought that she had seen an imprint of his body on the ground below where he had landed. But of course it was only a dream; though, as strange as it was, it had seemed so real to her.

Despite the heaviness of the previous day's revelation, Kagome allowed herself a small smile. A demon trying to enter her room only to be defeated by a window? Not even in her grandfather's stories.

She shook off the last vestiges of her slumber before rolling over and reaching for her robe. Curiously, the garment was not folded on her dresser where she had left it after her nightly bath – it was crumpled and tossed at the foot of her bed. She gave the robe a quick appraising look before shrugging it onto her shoulders. What did it matter really if her robe had been mislaid? She would be lucky if she was home that night to don the familiar fabric.

Kagome tied the robe's sash before rising from her bed and walking over to the open window. She lowered the glass pane, too distracted to notice the muddy footprints scattered on the ledge. Once the window was closed, she crossed her arms over her chest before heading off to find her family. "I am not going to that well," she promised herself firmly. "No way…"

---

"I can't believe you got me to come to this stupid well," Kagome muttered. Sitting beside the ancient well, her mother behind her, she blurted out her annoyance for the fourth time that afternoon. _How had her mother succeeded in dragging her out of the house again?_

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her daughter as she continued to weave a garland of flowers into Kagome's raven hair. "I'm sure you'll understand when you're older, dear." Her expression, bemused with a hint of maternal patience, barely changed as she continued at her task. She was used to Kagome's tantrums – her daughter could have put up a stronger fight that morning, and for her lack of resistance, she was grateful. Maybe a small part of Kagome was interested to see what the day would bring?

"Yeah, if the monster doesn't devour me first," Kagome replied, under her breath, before reaching her hand up to the crown of her head. Her fingers searched through the strands until they felt the silky texture of the flowers. She grimaced. "Tell me again, Mama, why you're putting these ridiculous flowers into my hair?"

Her mother swatted her hand away. _Then again, maybe not_, she thought with a smile. When Kagome drew her hand back and placed it in her lap, Mrs. Higurashi explained her intent not for the first time. "Well, the priestess felt that today would be the day that the prophecy came true. If so, don't you want to look nice for your prospective husband?"

"Not if he's a monster," Kagome muttered. Her mother gave her hair a quick tug to indicate that she had heard her mutterings – and that she didn't appreciate them. Understanding the message, Kagome changed the subject. "Speaking of the prophecy," she began, pausing in time to catch her mother's sigh before she reached for another flower, "I get to go home tonight if no mo— nobody shows up, right?" It was with such understanding that Kagome had willingly left the cottage that morning.

Mrs. Higurashi nodded, choosing to ignore Kagome's repeated references to a "monster". "When your grandfather and I spoke with the priestess this morning, it was agreed that should the prophecy be fulfilled, it would occur the first time you approach the well—"

"But I've visited this well thousands of time before," Kagome interrupted.

Her mother sighed. "Let me finish, dear."

"Sorry, Mama."

"As I was saying, Lady Kaede believes that your destiny would only follow its course once you were aware of it," she said as she finished her weaving of Kagome's hair. She pulled herself to her knees and crawled around to face her daughter and admire her handiwork. The flowers were offset by Kagome's expression; her dainty mouth was formed in a frown. Mrs. Higurashi sighed again. "If it happens that the prophecy remains unfulfilled by sundown, I will return to bring you back home."

Kagome's head jerked up. Her frown slid off her face and was replaced by a look of surprise. "You're not staying here with me?"

Her mother shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear, but I can't. I promised your grandfather that I would keep watch over the cottage while he helped Lady Kaede out of the village," she answered, awarding her daughter a comforting smile before drawing herself to her feet and brushing the grass from her knees. Nothing in the prophecy referred to Kagome's death so she wasn't too worried.

Kagome wasn't worried either – but she was annoyed. Not only did she have to sit by a well all day waiting for some sort of half-breed, but she had to do it alone? A scowl crossed her delicate features but faded when her mother bent down and placed a kiss atop her head. "I'll see you at sundown, Kagome," her mother said before absently patting the top of Kagome's hair.

Kagome squirmed under her mother's touch as an idea struck her. If her mother left her alone at the well, she would have no idea if she, too, remained by its side. "Yes, Mama," she replied, already planning where she would spend the day. Maybe she would find Hojou and apologize for her behavior from the day before.

Mrs. Higurashi began to walk away and head back to her family's cottage but paused after only a few steps. "Kagome, dear," she said, turning around to face her daughter, "please make sure you stay by this well and don't wander off."

Kagome assumed an all too innocent expression. She stretched her legs out from under her simple white kimono and leaned back against the ancient, wooden structure. "Of course, Mama."

Her mother searched her face intently for a moment. When she saw no hint of deception hidden in Kagome's grey eyes, she nodded and began to walk away again. Within minutes, the trees of the forest absorbed her form and Kagome was alone.

She tucked her legs under her kimono and readjusted her position against the well, trying to get comfortable. When a protruding piece of the well scratched her back, not deep enough to cause pain but rough enough for a trickle of crimson to stain her virginal dress, Kagome jerked away from the structure. She blew up a stray lock of her ebony hair. _This is going to be a long day_.

---

For the countless time that afternoon, Inuyasha paced back and forth in the front of Lady Kikyou's shrine. Torn between yelling for the spirit, or tearing down the shrine dedicated to her memory, he had haunted the shrine since returning after failing in his mission the night before.

He crouched down on the ground, just outside the door, before kicking dirt on top of the cursed bow and arrow. _Stupid Kikyou_, he thought spitefully_, she knew that I wouldn't be able to hurt someone with her face. She probably just wanted to remind me what control she has over me…_

Furious, Inuyasha turned his frustration towards a nearby tree. Raising his claws up high, he struck at the offending fauna. With a crash, the trunk splintered and the treetop fell.

He smirked as much of his anger fled with his strike. Now if only Kikyou was standing before him, he might feel all the better.

_Baka_, he berated himself, readying himself for a second hit. If he wasn't able to shoot an arrow at a Kikyou look-alike, he sure wouldn't be able to harm the spirit herself.

As the image of Kikyou flashed before his eyes, Inuyasha turned his head upright. While she had wasted no time in explaining what his mission was on Earth, she had neglected to inform him how to return to the Spirit Plane.

He could, he supposed, call for Kikyou. In the vicinity of her shrine, it was quite possible that she would appear at the sound of her name. But his pride stood in the way; after the way she tricked him he was hesitant to call on her for help.

Or, of course, he could stay on Earth. Though many things had changed over the course of the fifty years that he had been dead, the food was as delicious as ever. He would enjoy himself…

Yet, after the embarrassing failure of the night before, he had struggled to his feet and raced back to the shrine. He wasn't sure if Kikyou would be waiting for him, having seen his inability to shoot the girl in her mirror. He had assumed that she had seen it all; why else would he have fallen at the humiliating command? Surely the girl with Kikyou's face didn't possess equal spiritual power?

But Kikyou had not been there, waiting. Instead, he had spent the rest of that night, and the whole of the next day, waiting for her to come to him. And, though he waited for her just outside the shrine, he refused to go inside and call for her.

_Feh, I might as well…_

It was just prior to sunset when Inuyasha gave up. He had decided to finally enter the shrine and invoke Kikyou when a distinct scent caught his attention: _fear_.

Inhaling deeply, Inuyasha located the source of the scent. Curiosity got the better of the hanyou and he began to sprint towards the source – the underlying scent, just below the dominant stench of terror, tingled his senses as if he was familiar with the possessor. But, as he had only been back on Earth for less than a day, that was highly unlikely.

He drew closer, his nose guiding his trail. With every step, the presence of another scent invaded his senses. It was faint, yes – almost as if someone was intentionally masking their own aura – but not hidden well enough that Inuyasha's nose would not detect it at close range. This scent, however, was not only familiar to him – he had never forgotten the foul smell.

His only response was to run faster.

---

Lying flat on her side, next to the well, Kagome stared at the slow path of the sun. She pressed against the ground, stretching her limbs, waiting for the sun to finally set. She didn't care if her pristine kimono became muddied or stained by the grass nor did she worry that her intended would be offended by her disheveled state. It was near time for the sun to disappear for another night. Her mother would return for her shortly.

A loud crash came from outside of the forest. Curiosity peaked, she thought about getting up to investigate the noise, but shook her head. She told her mother she wouldn't leave the side of the well, after all.

Sitting up slightly, resting on her elbows, Kagome wished the sun to sink even further, even quicker. It was only then beginning in its descent. At least it wouldn't be that much longer until her mother came to retrieve her. _Oh Mama…_

"I told her that the prophecy wasn't about me," she muttered out loud, half in annoyance, half in relief. While she was relieved that there was no sign of a half-breed monster coming to claim her, did she really have to spend the entire day by herself, sitting next to an ancient well?

"Higurashi?"

She froze at the low, seductive timbre. Afraid to lift her head as a figure entered the clearing, Kagome tried to recognize the voice. It was familiar, yes, but it wasn't her mother.

Kagome slowly rolled over, revealing a long smudge down the side of her kimono. Once she was flat on her back, she sat up and peered at the silhouette against the setting sun. She used her slender hand to shield against the bright sun rays before recognizing her guest. "Hojou? What are you doing here?" she asked, puzzled. After their fight from the day before, Kagome assumed it would be her that apologized first.

Hojou, his ever-present smile plastered charmingly on his handsome face, sauntered over to Kagome. He leaned over and extended his hand, offering to help her to stand.

Kagome accepted his hand. His strong pull had her on her feet in a moment. But she was not to be dissuaded from her earlier question. Once she was steady, she asked again, "What are you doing here?"

Hojou shrugged, still smiling. Kagome felt her right arm move with the motion of his shoulder. He still held her hand clasped tightly in his own. She tried discreetly to pull her hand back, but it didn't work. Instead, Hojou's grip tightened.

Kagome's confusion increased as annoyance caused her to yank harder on her hand. "Hojou," she said, through clenched teeth, "please let go of my hand." As neither had apologized for the day prior, Kagome understood them to still be in an argument. In that case, Hojou had no reason to be holding her any longer than necessary – as it was this was totally unlike him.

He let go of her hand, but his smile stayed in place. Kagome pulled her hand back, rubbing it gently. The force of Hojou's grip had left red marks on her porcelain skin. She caught his eyes raking over her hand and promptly dropped it. "What is the matter with you, Hojou?" she snapped, taking a step away from him. The hungry look in his eye did not dissipate; it increased as his gaze traveled up and down.

"Hojou?" he mocked, in a near-perfect mimic of her own high voice.

The sound sent chills up her spine. Her eyes look around him to see that the sun was still inching slowly downward. Where was her mother?

Hojou caught her eyes looking beyond him and scowled. "Look at me, Kagome."

Kagome did as she was told. The harsh tone of his voice dictated that she not refuse his demand. But, when she met his gaze, she noted that there was something different about him. His eyes, once brown, were now crimson.

She jerked away from his stare. _Crimson_? Slowly, Kagome turned her head back to verify what she had just seen. But, before she met his eyes, a haze outlining his form caught her attention. Suddenly the old priestess's words came rushing back to her: _Ye have the most powerful spiritual aura I have ever felt_. Could such powers be coming to light at this moment? Is that what she is noticing about Hojou – his own aura?

Or…

Kagome's thoughts were interrupted when Hojou placed his hand on her cheek. She flinched under the weight of his touch. She tried to move her head back, but he seemed content to leave his hand in place, chuckling as he did so.

In the pit of her stomach, Kagome felt a knot begin to form. Focusing on the clenching tightness she raised her hands to lay them on Hojou's outstretched arm. "Let…go…" she said before pushing down.

With the force of her shove, a pinkish explosion erupted from her hands. Hojou dropped to his knees, clutching his now burned hand with his good one. His crimson eyes seemed to shine like freshly spilled blood as he squirmed at her feet.

Kagome looked down at her hands, bathed in the faint pink aura that had been the cause of the explosion. As the aura diminished, she turned her gaze on Hojou. "Are you al—what is that?" She pointed down at his arm. The haze she had spied moments earlier was much stronger as if trying to repair the damage caused by the blast.

Hojou's response was to laugh hollowly. "This was not the way I was going to tell you of your destiny, Kagome, but you left me no choice…" Careful no to put weight on his injured arm, Hojou pulled himself to his feet. Then, taking two steps back, he shook his right hand once.

She watched in amazement as the haze she noticed spread across his features, almost shimmering against the sunset. The pulse pounded even louder before a single crack filled the forest. With that crack, the illusion that had been surrounding the young man fell to the grass and he followed suit.

Kagome made to run forward and help him but found she could not move her feet. Horrified, she looked down upon her friend. But, he wasn't the Hojou she knew. As he slowly brought himself back to his feet, grinning down at the maiden, Kagome knew she had been deceived.

The figure had long dark hair and was much taller than Hojou had been. His eyes were the deep crimson she had viewed earlier. His clothes were much fancier and his grin hid little of his nasty intentions. He began to come toward her.

Kagome hurriedly stepped away from him, fear welling up inside of her. She kept moving away until she backed against the well. When she saw that she had nowhere else to go, Kagome faced the man. "Who…who… who are you?" she whispered, trying to stay him from his pursuit of her.

He paused for a moment, and Kagome thought that she had been mildly successful. If she could keep him away from her until her mother came, she should be alright.

However, the man seemed to have a different idea in mind. He looked down at Kagome, pressed against the well in a most provocative position, and laughed. Neither the gentle laugh she associated with Hojou, nor the hollow laugh she heard before. This laugh scared her more than anything else.

He was the monster…


	5. V Too high to climb, too hard to break

Disclaimer: _I own neither the characters of Inuyasha (© Rumiko Takahashi, 1996-present), nor the Roman myth of Psyche & Cupid. If you can see the parallels between the two stories, I applaud you. If not, please enjoy my interpretations presented here within as cheap entertainment._

--

PSYCHE

_Being beautiiful can be a burden. Just ask Higurashi Kagome.  
Her own appearance caused her to be caught up with a jealous spirit, an obsessed demon, a cursed well and a bitter hanyou.  
And that's only the beginning…_

--

**V. Too high to climb, too hard to break through**

**--**

Almost immediately after her return to the Spirit Plane it was her desire to turn her mortal mirror onto Inuyasha. Through its transparent glass she could observe whether or not he had completed his required duty. She resisted the temptation, instead gazing into the hand mirror as it focused on the Shikon no Tama's hideaway.

Time seemed to slow for the spirit. Kikyou was unaware how much mortal time had passed before she finally gave in. "Show me Inuyasha," she commanded, holding the mirror tight in her right hand, higher and further away. In such a position it was easy for her to view the entire image.

The mirror's reflection shimmered slightly before blinking away its change. When the image was in focus she found herself staring at Inuyasha as he stalked back and forth in front of her shrine. He seemed angry.

Kikyou raised an eyebrow at the scene. He had returned back to her shrine, she noted with a wry smile. Such an action could mean only one of three options: he had finished the task and was trying to return to her; he came face to face with her intended victim and had found himself unable to pierce her with the arrow; or, he had never left the shrine at all.

Watching as he flew at a tree and slashed at it with his claws, Kikyou knew that it could not have been the last option. Inuyasha's anger radiated off of him in waves. The only answer then could be that he had caught onto her reasons behind sending him on this particular excursion. If he had never left the shrine, he would have no reason to be so angry. If he had approached Higurashi Kagome, he would have understood her plot immediately. She continued to watch his actions and his mutinous facial expression. She sighed and, not for the first time, wished that she could hear through her mirror.

Since it couldn't possibly be the first option – anyone who completed a task successfully surely would not celebrate by cutting down the surrounding landscape – nor the third, Kikyou reason that it must be the second: he must have encountered the maiden and was now furious at Kikyou's ministrations. The spirit contemplated her next step. She could appear at her shrine and question the hanyou whether or not he completed his assignment.

Kikyou snorted quietly at the thought. Given her companion's present temperament, it would do better to leave him be.

If contacting Inuyasha was temporarily not an option, she must instead rely on his target. With a snap of her fingers Kikyou called forth another image to her mirror. One glance at the girl would inform her if she had been cursed or not.

When the image flickered once more and changed, a second snort erupted from the dainty spirit, followed by a low chuckle. It was in the forest just outside of her shrine, near an old well, that she spied her current rival. The young woman looked a mess, her white kimono stained, her dark hair disheveled. _Though the disarray causes her to look all the more lovely_, Kikyou observed with a bit of disdain.

But the jealousy did not last long, for it was not Kagome that the spirit was interested in – it was the man who was stalking forward, eyeing the girl as if she were his prey. It was an expression that Kikyou had loathed. It was an expression that she had never forgotten.

She waved her free hand in front of the glass. The picture reverted back to that of the Shikon jewel. She had already wasted too much time using the Gods' mirror to her own devices; besides, the mirror had already served its purpose and she had seen all that she needed to. She now was aware that Inuyasha had faithfully fulfilled his pledge to her. He had shot the girl with the accursed arrows and, because of his action, she would no longer be a threat to Kikyou.

After all, only such a weapon as that bow and its arrows would have brought about such a conclusion. In re-writing that poor girl's destiny, Inuyasha had fated to bring Kagome and Naraku together.

---

When she found that she had no farther to go Kagome hurriedly ran around the well. The ancient structure was now all that separated her from her pursuer. "Who are you?" she demanded, sounding a lot more confident than she felt. In truth, behind the well, her knees were shaking.

He paused, an amused twinkle in his red eyes. "Who am I, Kagome? I am whoever you want me to be." He snapped his finger and his shape began to shimmer. Slowly the man before her resumed a familiar guise. "Does this form please you?"

Kagome watched as the long dark hair cropped, the wild eyes tamed to a deep brown and she shuddered. "What did you do to Hojou?"

"Hojou?" he asked, tapping his chin with his pointer finger before a wicked smile crossed his youthful face. The cruel expression formed on Houjo's face scared her more than the monster had in his other form. "Who's Hojou?"

"You – I mean, him," Kagome said, flustered, as she pointed directly at his chest.

He looked down at his body and shook his head. "Do you mean you haven't figured it out yet, Kagome?"

Sudden chills ran up and down her spine. Something was very wrong here.

He saw the apprehension as it crossed her face and continued to grin. "There never was a 'Hojou', my pet. Only me, your Naraku."

_Naraku_. The name echoed in her head like a long forgotten memory. Fear – an unholy, irrational terror – began to take hold of her heart. _Who was this man_? The name seemed familiar to her, almost as if she had heard it before, but she brushed the notion aside. There were more important matters at hand; according to this Naraku, there was no Hojou.

Kagome stomped her foot. She refused to believe him. "You're lying," she said, leaning forward and gripping the rim of the well. "I've known Hojou almost my entire life and –"

"No," Naraku interrupted coldly though his anger was almost palpable. In his ire he dropped his illusion again resuming his earlier form. "You have known _me_, Kagome. It has always been about me. I was the one who caught sight of you when you were an infant and followed you through childhood. I have watched you grow from a seed, nurtured you, cared for you and guarded you as your friend, until you blossomed into the young woman I see before me. You've bloomed solely for me and, now that you have ripened, I have come to collect my fruit. You heard that old priestess – even the Gods know that you were born solely for my sake."

He began to advance on her but paused. Kagome was glowing slightly, her arms outstretched, her grey eyes narrowed. "How do you know what Lady Kaede said? I sent Houjo – you – home."

He scoffed though he remained back. His arm still tingled from where her spiritual aura had disintegrated his illusion earlier; he did not want to meet her head-on, especially in her own upset. Instead he assumed another appearance. After the haze surrounding him cleared, Kagome gasped, but slowly began to understand. She was looking upon her own brother.

"Souta?" she asked, lowering her hands and bringing one to cover her mouth.

He nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "_I think you are gorgeous, Kagome_." It was a mockery of the words that had confused her earlier. But not now.

If possible, her mouth widened and her skin lost its remaining color. "That…that was you?" she whispered around her hand. "You were in my house – you overheard the prophecy? You pretended to be my brother?"

He didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Kagome fought down the urge to be sick. It was tougher when Naraku dropped the guise of her brother, returning to his own appearance. The sight of him increased her nausea tremendously. "How many times were you there? How many people did you pretend to be?"

Again he remained silent.

"How many, Naraku?" she yelled, horrified, beating her hands against the well. "How many!"

Naraku didn't answer her but, instead, began to approach her again. In her disgust Kagome had forgotten to draw a barrier around her. Though, if she was as inexperienced as he suspected, she was not capable of doing that consciously.

Kagome stopped her shouts. He was not answering her and his wicked smile indicated that she really didn't want to know the truth. He was coming for her, and that was all he wanted her to know. But she wouldn't give in without a fight; she wasn't giving up that easily. She scanned the area until her eyes rested on her only hope. It made not be a smart plan, but it was the only plan she had.

He was only a few feet away from the well when he saw a determined look come to Kagome's eyes. She glanced around the forest to verify that her mother had not yet arrived; the sun had almost set, and she was still alone with _him_. She had no choice. She would not allow herself to be taken by him.

With his next step she readied herself. She leaned forward and placed her hands firmly on the well. Another step and she had moved up against the structure. Then, when he was only an arm-length away, she threw herself forward. Before Naraku could stop her, Kagome had pushed herself into the well.

---

The scent burned at his nose but he kept running. He leaned forward as he ran, his long silver hair streaming behind him due to his speed. He bared his fangs and licked his lips in anticipation of the strike. He had been waiting fifty years for this. He thought he had killed him once before; it would be his pleasure to do so again.

The intermingling scents of demon and human were growing stronger with every stride and, even at his speed, Inuyasha was aware of his destination. He was heading toward the old well on the other side of the forest.

Though fifty years had past, a long-lingering scent trail alerted him to his position. While alive it was part of Kikyou's duty to seal off the well. Every neighboring child knew of the legend surrounding the well; anyone who entered the small, dark hole was never seen again. As he ran, he caught whiff of Kikyou's spiritual aura, though very faint. Except for a fresh burst of energy that permeated the area no other priestess left a presence around the well since Kikyou's death; it had been left unguarded in the time since then. He noticed this in the back of his mind but paid no attention. Ancient fairy tales meant nothing to him at the moment; the defeat of a despised enemy was his sole aim.

He emerged from the forest using a final burst of speed to launch himself in the air. He broke from the trees in time to spy Naraku, whole and alarming, stalking towards a young girl, a familiar girl. Claws outstretched, Inuyasha threw himself towards the demon. However, before he made contact, he watched as the girl slipped into the dark abyss of the well.

Lost in the moment, Inuyasha caught sight of the girl and drew in his breath. _Kikyou_. Almost as if he was reliving the past, Inuyasha slashed out at Naraku in response to his threatening Kikyou. He was behind the demon during his quick drop; Naraku, occupied with watching the girl fall, never knew what hit him. For the second time Inuyasha's claw succeeded in splitting Naraku in half.

His satisfaction at Naraku's death was overshadowed by his concern for the girl. Without thinking about neither Naraku's continued existence nor the impossibility of Kikyou being the girl that had fallen through the cursed well, Inuyasha launched himself gracefully after her. It was not until he was dropping into the darkness after Kagome that he remembered everything.


	6. VI Eeny Meeny Miny – Oh no

Author's Note: _Just so you know, if you are interested in reading more of my Inuyasha fiction, I have another user accout: _cursetheflame_. I began writing this before I created that account but the rest of my Iy fiction is there._

Disclaimer: _I own neither the characters of Inuyasha (© Rumiko Takahashi, 1996-present), nor the Roman myth of Psyche & Cupid. If you can see the parallels between the two stories, I applaud you. If not, please enjoy my interpretations presented here within as cheap entertainment._

--

PSYCHE

_Being beautiiful can be a burden. Just ask Higurashi Kagome.  
Her own appearance caused her to be caught up with a jealous spirit, an obsessed demon, a cursed well and a bitter hanyou.  
And that's only the beginning…_

--

**VI. Eeny Meeny Miny – _Oh no_.**

**--**

"Daughter?"

Mrs. Higurashi looked from the dinner she was preparing. "Dad, that you? I am in the kitchen," she answered.

Her father entered the small room. His face was pale and there was sweat upon his brow. He immediately slumped into the nearest seat at the table and gestured for his daughter to take a seat.

Confused, and a little nervous, she wiped her hands on her skirt and joined him at the table. "Is something wrong, Dad?"

He opened his mouth and shut it almost directly after. His throat was dry and it had nothing to do with the long distance he had walked. He had accompanied the priestess until she was safely in the village square of the town next over. After ensuring she had found proper lodging for the night, he had then turned around to make it back home as soon as possible. His every instinct warned him that he should get home as soon as possible. His intuition was rewarded when, before he could start on the road back home, the priestess, Kaede, had grabbed his traveling cloak and compelled him to listen to a second prophecy.

The fit took much longer to control this time. Much nonsense was spouted by the elderly priestess before he could make any sounds that he knew were words. Just when he was about to call for the innkeeper to help him restrain her – during this spell the priestess had begun to tremble and then shake violently – she had spoken:

_By the sacred well she waits, yet she is not alone. Afore the half-breed finds her she shall be tempted but, should she be pure enough, that purity will stay her to he path. A haven not of this world shall protect the two but it will not be enough. Evil and good forces alike will attempt to shatter their fragile bond and more than her soul will be lost should the forces succeed. The chosen maiden, alongside the half-breed, will lose her life._

His body betrayed him and remained rooted to the spot. His hunch was vindicated but, as his feet stood firm, he could not leave the inn.

The priestess, after a few moments, opened her eyes and glanced sadly at the old man. "I am sorry," she said simply and fell to the floor. He had rushed forward and helped her to her cot. Once she was sitting down comfortably, she spoke again. "If I would have – I never saw – I didn't know…" she stumbled, her voice low and weak. He nodded his understanding.

Shaken and rattled, he had left her there with only a quick word exchanged between himself and the innkeeper on the way out. He needed to get home. He needed to warn his daughter and Kagome.

Now, sitting across from his child, he found he couldn't speak. How could he tell her that her only daughter was in danger – and that they had pushed her into such a situation? He would have fallen to pieces if someone had told him something similar of her. How would she take it?

But he knew he had to warn her. Maybe she would be in time – maybe she could be saved. So he told her. He had, over the hurried journey back to the cottage, memorized and recited the brief addition to the prophecy. Now, without meeting his daughters' worried gaze, he spoke it aloud. When he was done he chanced a glance upward. She looked confused. "Lady Kaede had another prophecy about Kagome," he said sadly.

A still dread settled over the two adults. She was just about to rise and leave to bring Kagome back – _darn it, If only I can get these legs to move_, she thought, remaining unmoving in her seat – when another person entered the kitchen.

Souta.

The young boy was bouncy and seemed, at first, not to notice the quiet surrounding his family. "Hi Mama. Good Afternoon, Gramps. Where's Kagome? Anyway, sorry I'm so late but Satoru's mom insisted that I stay over for lunch. And, after they let me spend the night last night, I thought it would be rude to refuse…" His voice trailed off when he saw the confused expression on his grandfather's face couple with the horrified one on his mother's. Hadn't Souta gone to bed last night with the cat, only to come downstairs with the arrival of the priestess? Or why was it that, when Souta came downstairs, neither grown-up remembered that Souta had left to spend time with a recently ill classmate? And, if Souta had left yesterday, who had been at the table that night listening to the priestess's prophecy?

Mrs. Higurashi finally rose from her seat. Kagome was in trouble – and she was just beginning to realize how much.

---

Even though it was dark, and the fall seemed endless, Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. She would rather be anywhere than with that monster. Just the thought that he could chase after her into the well at any moment made her skin crawl. She twisted her head up to check whether or not he was there. There was no one there, he had not followed her – yet.

Feeling safer, she continued in her freefall. _When I land_, she decided, _I'll wait until I hear Mama arrive and I'll yell for help. She'll go get Grandpa and they'll save me from _him But the bottom of the well never came and she continued to fall.

All at once the stories her grandfather told her in her youth came barreling through her mind. The well, it had been said, was a place to turn to when evil was abound; guarded by the priestesses of the village, the well had been purified generations ago but the concentrated spirituality of the structure warped it from its initial design. While it once was used to discard the remains of defeated demons, it now accepted anything – _or anyone_, she noted, wryly – that it deemed worthy. However, as her grandfather warned her constantly, usually accompanied by a smiling threat that should she be naughty he would toss her in, anything that went in the well never came out again.

When the fall continued to lengthen, her nervousness grew considerably. What if she fell forever? _I really should have thought this over before jumping in,_ she chided herself. Her next thought, very similarly to the earlier one – after all, how diverse of thoughts can one be expected to have when free-falling in an ancient, enchanted well? – was cut off when a blue flash erupted around her. Almost immediately, Kagome's butt made contact with the ground.

She had landed. And it was dark.

---

With a sigh, Naraku pulled himself together. His aura shimmered much stronger than it had before but, of course, the injury had been much more serious. It took a few minutes for his torso to repair itself and he grew impatient at the wait. The last time Inuyasha had struck him down in the same manner he had only taken a moment to become whole. He must have grown weaker over the last fifty years.

His sigh deepened when his gaze landed on the well. Not only had it swallowed up Kagome but Inuyasha had followed after her. It was only a matter of time until the poor girl knew exactly what role she was playing; knowing her fiery nature as he did he was aware that it might not be welcome knowledge for her to know that she was nothing more than a Kikyou replacement. He could only hope that he got to her before that vulgar half-breed did.

Naraku placed his hands on top of the well, preparing to push himself in after the pair. At first contact he was aware of the painful sensation but ignored it. It was nothing more than a faint spark to him so he continued. He raised his leg and tried to enter the mouth of the well. But his foot went no farther – as soon as he made to lower it, a magnificent force propelled him back. It took a moment for the truth to sink in. He narrowed his crimson eyes and glared at the offending structure.

The well had not let him through. He remained on the one side while Kagome was falling ever further away from him.

Merely inconvenienced, Naraku got to his feet and approached the old fixture. The well had allowed Inuyasha passage yet it denied the same to him. He traced the rim of the well with his index finger enjoying the pain he endured. _I'll just have to wait until they emerge_, he decided. He cast a barrier around the area so that none, including Kagome's bothersome mother, could come nearer to the well than he wished; he also set the barrier so that, should the pair decide to climb out, neither Inuyasha nor Kagome could leave the area. Then, again, he would be in control.

---

Though he had only jumped into the well a few moments after the girl Inuyasha caught no sight of her during his descent. This was a good thing; as soon as he caught sight of her he planned on throttling her until she explained to him exactly what was going on. Not only did this girl share in Kikyou's face but, it seemed, she also shared in Naraku's company.

Even though he was falling he held out his hand and extended his claws. The crack they emitted as they grew to their full length resonated around the wooden structure. Sure that he was still in the well, at least, Inuyasha focused on what he would do when he found the girl. Maybe he would have been better off if he had shot the girl with Kikyou's bow and arrow when he had the chance. Maybe then he wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

He reached out and tried to grab hold of the side of the well by jamming his clothes into the wood. But no matter how far out he reached he could not find the side. That confused him. He had seen the well countless times; if he veered to the right and stretched out there should be no reason why he could not easily touch the side.

He huffed and, as he continued to fall, crossed his arms. He should have known better. The well was enchanted enough; obviously the mikos had set it up so that any living creature that was thrown inside would not be able to grab hold and climb back out. And, since many of the priestesses had used this well as a burial ground for demon remains many years ago, he was equally certain that it would be warded so that none could climb back out. If a demon had resurrected and had the ability to fly, the well would have to be spelled so as to not let anyone leave the structure.

Either way he looked at it, he was stuck.

_Wait… maybe not_…

Inuyasha had his pride. Coupled with his sense of honor, his pride was all the hanyou ever had. But was he prepared to continue to fall for the rest of his existence just in the name of his pride? He had is pride – but he wasn't that proud.

He had one chance and he was going to have to take it. He had to call on Kikyou. Not only was she one of the most powerful mikos to ever have lived, she had strengthened many of the charms and spells on this exact well only fifty years ago. She should be able to view him with her mortal mirror; if she did then she could use her retained spiritual powers to reverse the spells and allow him to leave.

And, as an added bonus for her help, Inuyasha was prepared to leave the girl – that Kagome – falling within the well. This way Kikyou got what she wanted and Inuyasha could return back to his cloud. It wasn't the best plan, and he wouldn't choose it normally, but forever falling in an enchanted well was not a normal circumstance.

Knowing he would regret this move – it was never a good idea to give Kikyou something else to hold over his head – Inuyasha opened his mouth to call out for Kikyou's help. But, right as he began to make the first sound, a blue flash surrounded him. Temporarily blinded, Inuyasha relied on his instincts. He curled up tight, presenting a smaller target in case a threat was present. Until his sight came back to him, this would have to suffice.

His sight might have been impaired by the flash but his other senses were still in tact. By his sense of touch, Inuyasha felt that he was no longer falling. He landed abruptly on top of a grassy area and, defensively, drew himself up to his knees. By his sense of hearing, Inuyasha knew he was not alone. The sound of someone breathing deeply and quickly – _They're trying to remain calm_, he thought – was just off to his left side. And, by his sense of smell, he recognized who that person was.

He was stranded in an unknown place, and blinded, alongside that Higurashi Kagome. _Perfect, just perfect._


End file.
